Mia Torri makes Sunshine Millions Distaff her first stakes win

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Mia Torri remained perfect in the statebred ranks while becoming a stakes winner for the first time by outlasting You Bought Her and Moment of Delight to register a game neck decision in Saturday’s $100,000 Sunshine Millions Distaff at Gulfstream Park.

Mia Torri, who was transferred to trainer Jorge Navarro’s barn during the fall, cruised to an easy first-level optional-claiming and allowance victory when meeting Florida-breds for the first time here last month. She then continued her improvement while successfully handling the jump to stakes competition in the six-furlong Distaff.

With Javier Castellano aboard, Mia Torri prompted the pace of Flutterby, edged clear on the final turn, then dug in gamely to fend off both You Bought Her and Moment of Delight. You Bought Her rated within easy striking distance, loomed boldly in late stretch, but hung a bit at the end. She finished 1 1/4 lengths in front of Moment of Delight, winner of the Distaff Prep two months earlier at Gulfstream Park West. Moment of Delight did not show her usual speed, gained close contention between horses in early stretch, before failing to kick on with the top two nearing the wire.

Mia Torri, a 4-year-old daughter of General Quarters owned by Phillip Sagan, completed the distance in 1:10.32 over a fast track and returned $6.00. She was the tepid favorite over both You Bought Her and Moment of Delight, both of whom also left the gate at odds of 2-1.

“I was a little surprised, I thought the 1 [Flutterby] and the 4 [Moment of Delight] were going to go and we were going to sit behind them,” Navarro said.

“When I saw the 4 stay back there, and we were up with the pace, I thought to myself 'we’re in trouble now'. But hey, she can run.”